


Song of a Raven

by flight815kitsune



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-09
Updated: 2012-12-09
Packaged: 2017-11-20 17:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/588037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flight815kitsune/pseuds/flight815kitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco sits in the garden and has a visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Song of a Raven

**Author's Note:**

> This is set during Deathly Hallows. We know that Luna ended up at the castle with the other members of the DA, this assumes that they hid in the Room of Requirement for awhile before Harry showed up...

Draco sits alone in the frost glazed garden. The stone bench is freezing, but at least it's private, quiet. His green and grey Slytherin tie is wrapped tightly around his throat. His thick, black, fur-lined coat is a stark contrast to not only to the pale scenery, but his fair skin and platinum blonde hair.

Everything is silent. The hedges, the stones, the roses, everything frozen in time. The only thing betraying the reality of the scene is the occasional appearance of his breath in the chilly air. Even the sky remains as still as a painting.

_At least they let me come back to school…_

There's a fluttering as a bird breaks the scene. Its ebony feathers and spark of life go entirely against the mood. It stares at him with small, dark eyes. Its beak opens in a harsh caw.

Draco stares at the bird, this interruption.

"Go away." He says in his harsh Malfoy-in-charge voice.

The creature simply cocks its head and fluffs its feathers.

He sneers, then realizes that his target is a  **bird**  and stops.

"I should kill you." His hand reaches for his new wand, his mother's.

It takes a few short hops towards him. It flaps its wings and caws again, just as harsh as before.

He glares at it.  _Stupid bird. How dare you…_

A girl's voice giggles behind him.

"Ravens are very smart birds, you know…" Her serene voice comments.

Draco turns to glare, but his features soften just a little. Luna Lovegood smiles at him, her blonde hair still scraggly and her robes tattered. Of course, her wardrobe choice is as interesting as it was before. Her earrings are those strange radishes. Her multicolored clothes show through tears in the black robe, as well as a glimpse of pale skin. Rainbow socks peek out with the flip flops on her feet. 

"How badly have they impacted your eyesight?"

"What?!" He's snapped back to reality.

"The wuthaphuks, they slowly steal your vision. After what happened at your house, I just assumed you were infested. I was wondering if things had gotten worse? Of course, you can only see them when you're blind, by then it's too late."

"The what? There's no such…How can you see something when you're blind?"

Her lip pouts as she seems to search for an answer.

Draco sighs, annoyed. "Why did you return here? You had a chance to get away. It's not safe at Hogwarts for people like you."

She smiles. "You're more like him than you think."

He stares again, confused.  _Who am I like? My father? The Dark Lord?_

"You shouldn't think so hard. You're going to age prematurely." She takes the few steps and sits next to him on the bench, staring into the frozen garden.

The bird and Draco get into a staring match.

"They used to have a beautiful plumage and voices, you know. They were the best of all the birds."

"Aren't you cold? Why don't you leave? If the Carrows find you…" He starts, knowing by now that it's useless. Looney is on a roll.

"It was many years ago…when everything was new. This was back when all the animals had voices."

"When the animals had voices?"

"You know what I mean. When they could talk."

Draco rolls his eyes, but stays quiet.

Luna, happily uninterrupted, continues." The raven was beautiful, and had the sweetest voice. It knew it, too. It was very arrogant, and rude. It didn't really have friends. It said cruel things to many of the other creatures, especially the birds. The other birds got sick of it, of course. They came up with a plan. They would race to the sun. The bird that reached it first would win, or so they said."

"Reached the sun?" his tone is incredulous.

"If you keep interrupting, I'll never finish. The raven had to, he wouldn't lose face. He entered, and the day of the race came. They all flew into the sky. A few frogs leapt as high as they could. A few made it to the moon, you know. They all passed the clouds before they started dropping out. The raven came close to the sun. His feathers started to smoke and he plummeted to earth. When he calmed down and healed, he was broken. His beautiful feathers were now black. He mourned this loss of power. He cried until his voice grew rough and ruined as well. He still cries when people aren't looking. He is left with nothing. It's sad, really."

'Why do I care?" He huffs, annoyed.

"Sometimes we forget that what we are isn't what we were."

"You're a fool."

"Ah, but at least I know who I am." She says softly in her sing-song tone as she rises from the bench.

"I know who I am."

She giggles and goes to leave. "So you say."

"Wait."

"Yes?" She stops, but doesn't turn around.

"Be safe. Things aren't good around here anymore. If the Carrows catch you, you're as good as dead."

"You have more to worry about than I do." She whispers, and is gone.

Draco stays in the garden, surrounded by the silence and the snow just starting to fall. He's left alone with his thoughts and the approaching sunset.

 

 

"Luna! Where the hell were you? We were about to send out a rescue party!" Neville hugs her as she enters the room of requirement, supplies from the kitchens in tow.

"Sorry. There was a lovely raven. I saw him from the window overlooking the garden…" She drops the bags of groceries by a cupboard, for someone else to take care of.

She spins like a ballet dancer, but slower and more relaxed. A faint melody hummed as she checks on their allies. Some are reading, some sleep. Others try to play games to distract themselves from this harsh reality. 

"Why are you wet? "

"I went outside. He seemed lonely."

"Going outside and talking to birds isn't going to help us! What if they had caught you?"

"Oh, who's to know what may be helpful? He can't help what he is."

Neville gives up and returns to his hammock.

She pauses in her song. "Did I ever tell you about the moon frogs?"


End file.
